For the cost some dealers want for these speakers, I give them three stars. At more reasonable prices, I give them four.Please reference many of the comments found for the linaeum speakers and the optimus speakers. The auras use the same tweeters as these other speakers...and it is the tweeter that distinguishes this product.

Aura has acquired linaeum (as best as I can tell) and has helped them upgrade their cabinet design while retaining the well-received linauem dipole tweeters.

The sound on the 837D is slightly more forward than the 827D...but the midrange sounds cleaner than that of the 827. Sound stage is good...imaging is also good...but things can get muddy when there are many instruments going at once. But I've found that in the Paradigm Studio 20's as well.

The speaker does best with acoustic music, jazz, and the like. There they can recreate the sound of a live performance with a very pleasant, full quality.

Price is a major concern. Dealers ask between 895 to 700 a pair. You can order for Aura directly if you do not have a dealer in the area. I believe they go for $450 or so from the dealer. So try to wing it and order direct...because although the tweeter is great...you can also buy the same dipole tweeter with its own built in cross-over from Radioshack for $29.99. So you can imagine what dealer cost is for these speakers. Yup...the exact same tweeter...OEM'd for radioshack by aura. Check it out. Since it has its own crossover, the manual says to just wire/splice it in at your gold post connection.

These are a great pair of speakers, especially considering the price. I was lured in by the Bose hype, and thought that the 301's were a good buy at $300, but after hearing higher end speakers, I soon realized that the Aura LST-837D's are a steal at $450. Although the store I heard them at was asking $700, I soon found out I could order direct from Aura, who happens to be in So. Cal., and was very relieved. I was willing to pay the $480 this guy was asking for Aura's 2-way towers (LST-327D $300 dir). I am a fan of Magnepan's, but can't afford them. I like the spatial realism the magie's give. The Aura's have what they call "Line Source dipole tweeter with 360 degree dispersion". If you have heard these speakers or can suggest something else in the same price range, please e-mail me.